Louis-Clément de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Louis-Clément-Germain de Rochechouart de Mortemart (29th May 1730 - Present), Marquis de Fontainebleau, commonly referred to as the Cardinal Fontainebleau, is a Grandelumierian statesman, nobleman, and clergyman. He was consecrated as Archevêque de Cambrai in 1751, a post which he held until 1756. He was then made Prince-Évêque de Strasbourg following the Cardinal Mortemart's suggestion, who was his grand-uncle. He was the only son of Louis Armand Giles, Marquis de Gallifet, and Marie-Thérèse Le Tellier and a member of the prestigious House of Rochechouart de Mortemart. He is well known for his ruthless streak, an aspect of his personality which was reportedly well documented during the War of British Succession where he co-commanded during the capture of the Channel Islands, as well as his political ability particularly within the realms of jurisprudence. Having studied both the military during his youth, as well as a combination of theology and jurisprudence in the University of Paris, he found his way up through the ranks of the Catholic Church. Having graduated from the University of Paris with a doctorate in both theology and jurisprudence, he was made Proviseur de la Sorbonne in 1761 and took time to oversee the works there, building projects being a passion of his. He was also well known for his love of arts, patronising several Parisian artisans. This lifestyle was cultivated from his familial background, belonging to the Rochechouart de Mortemart family which propagated his lavish spending on a variety of artworks. When he achieved the role of Prince-Évêque de Strasbourg, his income was significantly increased, allowing his heightened sense of self-aggrandisement. Early Life Birth Germain was delivered in the late evening of the 29th of May, 1730. Coming from the wealthy house of Rochechouart de Mortemart, his life was instantly destined to be one of incomparable luxury. His family was one of the grand houses of the Empire, and one of the oldest houses, tracing their roots back to the 10th century. His father had been Louis Armand Giles, Marquis de Gallifet, and Gentilhomme de la Manche to the then Dauphin, and a Marechal in the service of the Emperor. His mother was Marie-Thérèse, who herself was a Dame du Palais to her sister-in-law, the Madame, Marie-Angelique Olympe. Many of these positions had been instigated by the family patriarch, the Cardinal Mortemart (oftentimes better known as the Cardinal Rouge), who arranged many of his relatives to serve in high posts within the court, a familial policy which would later extend to Germain himself. Delivering the child at the Palais-Cardinal, on the Rue de Mortemart, the extensive family residence in the middle of Paris, it was not an easy one for the mother who was delivering her firstborn child. This had quite an adverse reaction to the couple's relationship, which already been strained. They would only have a few sporadic childbirths following, with many stillbirths and miscarriages in between. He was immediately sent to the family governess, a Mme. Geneviève Poitrine who had held the post for some time, and would eventually see her family receive the title of Seigneur de Bonneval through the Cardinal Mortemart's influence. The boy would be raised by her for a further six years. Childhood When the young Germain reached the age of 6 years, it was decided that it would be in the interests of the family to have him baptised, prior to this, the boy was only referred to as the Comte de Fontainebleau, the title granted to him after its acquisition by the Cardinal Mortemart. He was named Louis, after Saint-Louis and a multitude or royal personages, Germain after Pope Clément XI who had elevated the Cardinal Mortemart, and Germain after Saint Germain, the saint who had founded Saint-Germain-de-Pres where a multitude of his aunts had been sent to study. His godparents would include the Cardinal Mortemart and Madame la Princesse, Marie-Augustine Laurene, his aunt. When Germain reached 7 years of age, as was custom, he was taken from the care of Madame Geneviève Poitrine de Bonneval, and instead put into the care of men. Again, the Cardinal Mortemart kept his clientele in key positions, with the Abbé François-Joachim de Maulmont taking the position as the boy's tutor. His father, being a Colonel-General at the time of the boy's education, desired to have him taught in military matters, though he was also taught dancing, reading, writing, Latin, Spanish, physics, geography, theology, mathematics, equestrian, as well as instruction on how to play the harpsichord and musical composition. It was also as he was moved to learn from the Abbé that his mother, Marie-Thérèse Le Tellier, would die after an infection around her tooth, which had been left untreated, causing the spread of gangrene in her jaw. The death didn't have a remarkable impact on the boy, in large part due to the lack of attachment between the boy and either parent. As he grew older, however, the subjects of physics, geography, Spanish and musical composition would be dropped in favour of a focus on theology and law. These lessons would take place between residences, most commonly the Palais Cardinal and the Chateau de Reuil, though he notedly preferred the later residence, which was famously opulent, a true testimony to Mortemart wealth. It was here that he became accustomed to the life he would go on to live, taking part in frequent hunts, and extensive dinners thrown with family and high court society. Education Attending the Sorbonne As the boy grew towards the age of 10, it was decided that it would be most appropriate that he should take up matters in theology by the Cardinal Mortemart, for it was the most lucrative avenue for men in particular. Thus he was enrolled into the theology department at the Sorbonne, though, his uncle would also see to it that his interests in law, often referred to as jurisprudence, were followed through, if only because it extended the available roots for income for the family. It was within the third year of his study, with the ongoing war with Prussia and her allies, that his father, Louis-Armand Giles, died while leading troops against Prussian infantry at the Battle of Heilbronn. While never being particularly close to his father (after all, no Mortemart personally cared for their children), he did openly weep at the news. Germain would be exposed to a variety of literature during his time here, a mix between his uncles writing, and books produced by other renowned Cardinals such as Cardinal Rohan. He happened to take to writing to a variety of intellectuals, despite his age, and frequently used a pen name to avoid being known too soon, bar to his family. His correspondents involved; François-Marie Arouet, Monsieur le Baron de Montesquieu, Monsieur de Billy, Monsieur de Madame de Montchesne, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain Marivaux, le curé de Courdimanche, Charles-Jean-François Hénault, François d'Aubusson, Duc de la Feuillade; Monsieur de Bonneval, Mademoiselle de Clermont; Jean-Baptiste Berthelot de Duchy intendant des Invalides, ambassadeur François Sanguin, Abbé de Livry, Monsieur Delaistre and Denis Dodart. It was also during this time that he came into contact with the more licentious aspects of Parisian culture. Germain, not being of particular piety, took to another pastime of the clergy, affairs, By the time he was 17, he had settled into a temporary affair with the actress (a tragedienne), Christine Antoinette Charlotte Desmare, with whom he would later go on to have a child. He would also pick up another of his grand-uncle's habits in his liaison with Henri de Charency, though, fortunately, neither one would be discovered for their involvement. Both relationships would end before he would leave the Sorbonne. Graduation By the age of 20, in 1750, the Ten Years War had reached its conclusion, and Germain graduated from the Sorbonne with a doctorate in both Jurisprudence and Theology and received his tonsure. He was made commendatory abbot of the great Abbaye de Saint-Etienne de Caen for his first post in the Church, the beginning of his career, and achieving for himself a foothold in politics on the provincial level, immediately moving to oversee the breakdown of his land, the great abbey holding several seigneuries across a large holding in and around Caen. It was also shortly after his graduation that he took on the long-term mistress, Marie-Louise Etiennette Victorine Le Bel de La Bussière, the Comtesse d'Argenton. It was in this affair that he was otherwise distant and cold character gave way, as he lavished gifts upon the woman, with whom he would have several illegitimate children, the first of which would come just two years following their relationship. Clerical Career Abbot of Saint-Etienne de Caen While Germain was holding his position of Commendatory Abbot, he made 2 trips to the abbey in his first year, in which he generally stayed for two or three weeks, before returning to his residence in Paris. Given the abbey brought him a considerable income of 70,000 livres, he put this money towards installing himself in a small Hôtel on the Place Vendome, which he bought with some assistance from his grand-uncle. The Hôtel, named the Hôtel de Coëtlogon, was not particularly large and occupied a portion near the entrance of the square. It was here that he received any news of his abbey, though, for the most part, he left the monks to select their own capable administrator for the day to day running of the institute. His mistress also happened to occupy a small bedroom in the building. He selected a secretary from a noble family of Limousin, named Gabriel de Grenier de Lassagne, to run the day to day finances of the seigneurial land held by the abbey itself. During this time, he fully implemented the corvée every year, largely for works on the abbey manor house and the church attached. This failed to make him widely popular, though he noted that this was hardly his concern. Alongside this, while his official income from the abbey remained at 70,000 livres, he frequently pocketed money that would have otherwise been made to the canons and the maintenance of the abbey itself, giving him an estimated income of 90,000 a year. This was so much so that the corvée was essentially the only thing keeping the abbey from reaching any point of disrepair. As a result, the abbey treasurer named brother Jean de Valmont brought the case before the cathedral chapter in an effort to stir others against him, and in hopes of bringing a case before the local Parliaments. However, before any such action could be taken, Jean de Valmont was quite literally thrown from the abbey, Germain citing his role as Abbot allowed him to remove any member of the abbey he felt fit. It was a clear indication that if they wished to remain as members of the prestigious order they would have to fall in line. No trial would ever come to stand, whether this was from his example, or suppression by the weight of his grand-uncle was never entirely clear. Archbishop of Cambrai Having only been Abbot for the better part of a year, he soon found himself once more climbing the ranks of the Church. The Cardinal Mortemart had been eager to install his family into even greater heights and shamelessly filled any void with members of his extensive family. On this note, he recommended his nephew Germain to the recently vacated post as Archevêque de Cambrai in 1751. Germain made an exaggerated display of gratitude, presenting his uncle with a case of fine wine from his abbey and an elaborate carving of the Pieta. In order, however, to take the post, it was made necessary that the Pope provide papal dispensation due to his young age. Since Germain had no interest in travelling to Rome himself, he instead had the Papal Ambassador make his case for him. Once granted, the position gave him seigneurial rights over 75,000 people as well as a great deal of land and an additional 130,000 livres of income, giving him over 200,000 livres per year. His secretary was appointed to watch over the holdings here too, leasing the land and putting it to work as best as they could. Germain, unusually, took a personal interest in his land holdings, which he liked to review periodically to ensure every viable alley of income was ferociously exploited. Already, the young Germain was beginning to believe his residence was not up to scratch with his new title. Instead, he installed himself in the family residence of the Palais-Cardinal where he had been born, and a residence less often used by his illustrious uncle. It was also during this time he supplemented his income by finding himself a role as Crown Judge. His sharp wits made him a fast learner, and he ascended the ranks of the judicial system, quickly becoming one of the foremost judges in Paris. Like most judges, he was bribed hefty sums to find in the favour of the highest bidder, though he frequently made promises to both sides and taking two lots of money, while simultaneously finding in the favour of the one who had out paid the other. Though many might have protested these methods, no senior judge would have been willing to convict him, both on account of the weight of his name, as well as the problem this might bring for them. As almost every senior judge profited from pocketing bribes, no judge could condemn him without opening the same precedent against themselves. This allowed him to unofficially triple, sometimes near quadruple, his income, most of which he kept to himself, though making generous gifts to his uncle for his good graces. Of course, such occupations brought him further and further from the direct oversight of his land in Cambrai and Saint-Etienne de Caen. By now, the young Archbishop was employing a further two secretaries, a Jérôme-Frédéric de Ferrières de Sauvebœuf‎ and Pierre-Joseph-Hector de Tournemire. While de Ferrières was posted to care for his abbey, (Gabriel de Grenier de Lassagne having been promoted to caring for Cambrai, with a considerable pay increase), while de Tournemire had been moved to helping work in Paris. It was by the time of their employment in 1753 that Germain was made Évêque Coadjuteur de Strasbourg by the recommendation of his uncle, under the condition that he did not receive a vast grant from the post, and instead received a payment of 20,000. It was around the same time that he took on a second liaison, in the form of Charles de Saint-Albin. However, this would not go smoothly for long, and by 1755, with de Tournemire disgracing himself after a scandal in which it became evident to Germain that money had been taken off the top, and de Tournemire had been extending his income to the line of 15,000 livres. It was after this that de Tournemire was taken to the courts, and found guilty of embezzling his employer. However, unbeknownst to the Cardinal, de Grenier de Lassagne had been doing a similar job in Cambrai for some time, though far less self-beneficially some might suggest. By now, with or without the embezzlement of his employees, Germain was living a vastly different life to that just 5 years earlier. In the process of planning the new residence for himself in Cambrai, a Palais épiscopal, he occupied himself with throwing elaborate dinners with increasing frequency, which despite his renowned harshness, became a focal point of high Parisian society. Such events had placed the young man in some financial difficulties, spending more than he gained on art, paintings, books, dinners, performances, dances, musical salons, and so forth. It was at these musical salons that were held in the Palais-Cardinal, as well as frequent dinners, that Germain would come into contact with the Duc de Berry (the future Monsieur le Prince), who would become a long-term acquaintance at the Gaulish court. But it was in the midst of these financial difficulties that were arising that he would be informed of the death of the Prince-Évêque de Strasbourg, making him Évêque. Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg In 1756, Germain made his way to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, along with the Cardinal Mortemart, his cousin Louis Hercules de Rohan the Archevêque de Tours, and Claude de Saint-Simon the Évêque de Mets, for his ordination. On the way eastward, Germain came to pass by the Abbaye Impériale de Remiremont, which was home to an imperial chapter of canonesses which he came to stay at for a week. He was permitted to reside at the building by the Princesse-Abbesse Christine de Lorraine-Habsburg. It was during this stay that he became well acquainted with his aunt's in-law, Marie Elisabeth Isabelle Florimonde de Rohan, a canoness of the chapter, with whom he would later become a correspondent with, writing frequent letters. His stay would otherwise be quite unremarkable, taking time to admire the relaxed atmosphere of the abbey and several uncharacteristically jovial conversations with the abbess on their newfound positions as Imperial Princes. After the week was over, he made his way to Strasbourg without further interruption. He was then ordained as the Prince-Bishop in a ceremony led by his uncle. Following the ordination, Germain would be forced, reluctantly, to sign away his position as Archbishop of Cambrai. Within a month of his new position as the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg, Germain would write to Florimonde de Rohan (Mademoiselle de Guéméné) to offer her a position in helping administrate his new lands, as a replacement for de Tournemire, while de Grenier de Lassagne had taken the post assisting in Germain in Paris. This was an unusual offer in a time when women rarely held such posts, particularly nuns. More so because the post offered to Mademoiselle de Guéméné was possibly more tedious and time-consuming than his other lands had been, if only because it incorporated not only the diocese of Strasbourg but the territory of the land of Alsace too. Despite this, Germain had come to hold her perfectly capable of the provided task. Of course, she would be expected to continue the same level of administration as that which had been carried out in Cambrai. Around the same time as this had taken place, Germain's long-term mistress, the Comtesse d'Argenton would be dismissed. If working as the chief judge in Paris had provided him with the sizable income equating near 400,000 livres, then his post at Strasbourg vastly increased his income, collecting 400,000 from the diocese, and a further 400,000 from Alsace. His position as a judge was only interrupted by the three months of the year in which he was required to attend to his diocese, though he frequently made excuses to avoid returning. While he enjoyed this income it provided, he did not necessarily provide him with joy. He did, however, put his large income towards building a palace in Strasbourg for the diocese, though came to be known as the Palais Mortemart. This would cost him a considerable sum, even for his income, with the sum of marble costing him a near 400,000 livres. By 1758, he was in debt to one million livres, which was begrudgingly covered by the Cardinal Mortemart. During this time, Germain had drawn up a considerable list of correspondence, in particular, his aunt, Marie-Pauline Raphaëlle, Duchesse de Rohan, and one of the illustrious Mortemarettes. The letters between these two took on a semi-educational aspect, which was also occasionally jovial, though he also came to respond with the future Monsieur le Prince. Family Standing Death of the Cardinal Mortemart The death of the Cardinal Mortemart had a considerable impact on the family life of the Mortemart family. The majority of the Mortemart family would descend upon the Chateau de Reuil for the deathbed, many of which, it was speculated, were only there in order to make an appearance in hopes of gaining a little extra in the will. Germain made a small sum from his grand-uncles will, and he had decidedly made a display of piety before his family, praying in the family chapel. Although he was not left any of his uncles benefices, he was left a gift of 100,000 livres by the Cardinal, though this was not a terribly large sum compared to some of his other family members. Though he might have been displeased, this was not unexpected following the payments for his debt, and the small matter of his positions which he owed to the Cardinal Mortemart. Some might have described the Mortemart family in the immediate aftermath of the Cardinals death as experiencing a considerable slump in its prowess, a statement that Germain would come to resent. It was, nevertheless, partially true. Successive Mortemart's would decline in the display of wealth, and a number of Mortemart's who failed to live up to the name passed by. Ironically, Antoinette d'Anjou might have proved herself to be the best Mortemart example. Over the next few years, he would come to focus on building his personal reputation, namely in Paris itself. While his cousin, the Marquis de Belle-Ile build for himself a promising future, alongside the Mortemart family, with his liaison with the Dauphin, and Antoinette did what she could for the family in the absence of her husband, Germain held a number of large events in Paris, which, even if their courtly reputation was stumbling, the place they held in Parisian society remained. Involvement in Court Having long resided in Paris, the Cardinal became more and more involved with court affairs through his acquaintance, Monsieur le Prince, Louis Charles Emmanuel Marie. It was also around this time that he'd started to construct for himself a residence in Paris to call his own, which came to be referred to as the Hôtel de Strasbourg. While not as large as the Palais-Cardinal, it suited his purposes with ease. Here he would entertain guests and work on a variety of cases for the law courts, though increasingly much of the primary work for his posts fell to administrators and secretaries. While his social life expanded, and so did his workload, his clerical position also saw a boost. In 1762, he was conferred with the dignity of a Cardinalate, having won the nomination of the Holy Roman Emperor, Francois I. The red cap was presented to him by the Crown Cardinal, his cousin, at the court of Argenteuil. During this time, the Cardinal would come to invest in the newly established Banque Royale, buying several shares in the company in both the support of Monsieur le Prince and the Crown's vested interest in the financial stability of the new institution. The prospect that he might gain a much-desired profit also played a considerable role in his decision, as his continued spending habits had not yet learned from his earlier debts. In time, he would make more and more temporary visits to Argenteuil, where his acquaintance, Monsieur le Prince, would provide him with the office of Président de la Cour des Monnaies which he would happily take up, granting him a further pension of 40,000 livres. This had occurred by 1763, a year of great change for Germain. It was around the same time that he started his transition from the post of chief judge in Paris, as his time in Paris diminished further and further, which left him little time to handle the cases presented. Rather, he became involved in the ecclesiastic courts, otherwise known as the Inquisition. One of his first trials would involve the Mademoiselle de Chartres, and another involving the Marquis de Montespan. Both individuals would be dealt with harshly, the Cardinal going so far as to order Montespan tortured before a crowd. Furthermore, when his uncle Louis-Baptiste Philippe, Archevêque de Paris, at the time the Couronne Cardinal, was put on trial for assisting in the attempted escape of the Duc de Luynes and Mademoiselle de Chartres, Germain was more than happy to testify against him. Despite his position as part of the family Germain stood to directly benefit from the removal of his uncle and thus had no reason to fabricate a defence. While this had led to some concern for the family standing, it provided a natural succession to the families traditional posts directly onto the Cardinal, chief among them, Archevêque de Paris and Abbé Suprême de Cluny. War of British Succession As his post at the court progressed, not quite formally introduced to the court but making regular appearances, Germain found himself involved in the plan to replace the British king with his Catholic counterpart, James VIII & III who had been exiled in Rome. This plan had been elaborated by Monsieur le Prince, and, as the Prince-Bishop came to support it, he received the rank of Colonel-General, and was also posted with joint command over the troops that would be taking the Channel Isles. These troops were under the regiments of Monsieur le Prince, who would leave with the court of Brittany, where a large royal camp had been set up near Brest to see off the fleet and soldiers. Leaving with the combined fleet under the command of the Comte de Beaufort, Monsieur le Prince and Germain would be split from the main fleet and make way for Jersey. It was here that most of the particularly heinous acts of the Cardinals career took place. While making way for Saint Helier, the capital of Jersey, the troops would near the village of Saint-Pierre (Saint Peter's natively), and it was suggested that the town should be sacked for food supplies. This would be followed through by the soldiers, who faced off the local militiamen with relative ease, while the Cardinal had the town burnt to the ground. Germain was also determined to seek a decisive victory at Saint-Helier, though, Monsieur le Prince would, despite the protestations of Germain, provide terms of surrender. Next came Guernsey, where, despite the difficult landing, the forces would make way to the capital of Saint-Pierre-Port (Saint Peter Port). Again, the Cardinal would have the village of Les Vauxbelets burnt to the ground to deter further militias from rising up. After the victory over both Channel islands, the forces would remain stationed until granted leave. Personality and Appearance Personality A man of a rather cold demeanour, he was remarked as being somewhat aloof in general company. He was born with a characteristically high sense of importance, something natural to most Mortemart's, although within the conditions of their background, this would hardly be considered unusual. His position in the Church only served to further his self-image and made a habit of presenting his ring to all those around him, being a cardinal, this required anyone to bend the knee and kiss the ring. Very few individuals would be relieved of this necessity, largely those of Mortemart blood, a name he was too proud to force into service to himself. Known for his fixation with the idea of what he considered justice, this more often than note served to meet his own ends and was very rarely mixed with the traditional connotation of doing what was right by all concerned. His continued advocacy for the persecution of Huguenots was again more-or-less in his own interest, as it limited those who would affect the Churches tithes. Nevertheless, outwardly, he maintained that his interests were purely in the mind of God and the Crown, though privately he held little affection for either. This also allowed for him to act in a particularly cruel manner, dismissing enemies and former friends without much concern if they were 'in his way', though his wit permitted him to cover his tracks well enough. Not without any positive characteristics, Germain was charitable with those who were in his good graces. Frequently he hired men and women from families in Limousin who had been loyal client families to the Mortemarts, and frequently added new clients to this system where he employed them in the courts, clerical posts and later stately posts. Though this might generally be considered the limits of such charitable behaviour. Appearance The most evident physical trait of the Cardinal was his larger size. This was largely from a life of unending personal indulgence in which he partook regularly, consuming large quantities of food and drink. However, it was rumoured by others that this was merely done in imitation of his illustrious grand uncle, rather than out of personal self-indulgence. Nevertheless, it remained one of his most obvious physical defects. The other would be a slight hunch in his back, which he had from childhood, and one leg was slightly smaller than the other, causing him to use specially made shoes and the frequent use of a cane, though both of these defects were perfectly masked by his robes. Standing at an average height of 5'5, he did not inherit his families bodily make-up for tall stature, nor their propensity for extraordinary looks. Rather, he had a rather thin pair of lips and smile, which added to a rather odious appearance, only offset by his plumper facial features which might give a pleasantness to the casual observer. He had a pair of almond eyes, which just so happened to be one of the few aspects of the man which were physically pleasing. They were a little large on his face, though not unnaturally so, and provided his company with the jarring sense of warmth in his company. His nose was a little large, a general sign of nobility in most, though sometimes described negatively depending on the viewer. Finally, his head was topped with deep brown hair unlike most of his Mortemart relatives, hair which he had started to lose early as it had receded significantly. Issue With his mistresses, Germain would have several illegitimate children; By Christine Antoinette Charlotte Desmare, he would have; * Jean-Philippe, bâtard de Fontainebleau (3rd February 1747 - Present) By Marie-Louise Etiennette Victorine Le Bel de La Bussière, the Comtesse d'Argenton, he would have; * Jeanne-Agnès (16th September 1751 - Present) * Louise-Armande (10th June 1752 - 5th March 1760) * Joseph-Christophe-Gaston (22nd December 1754 - Present) * Eve-Madeleine (28th April 1755 - Present) * Charles René (9th November 1756 - 30th July 1757) Honours, Titles and Styles Titles and Styles * 29th May 1730 - 17th June 1750 Sa Seigneurie, Monsieur le Comte de Fontainebleau * 17th June 1750 - 3rd March 1751 Sa Seigneurie, Abbé Commendataire de Saint-Etienne de Caen * 3rd March 1751 - 28th June 1756 Sa Sainte Grâce, Monsieur l'Archevêque de Cambrai * 28th June 1756 - 19th July 1762 Sa Sainte Grâce, Monsieur le Prince-Évêque de Strasbourg * 19th July 1762 - Present Son Éminence, Monseigneur le Prince-Évêque de Strasbourg